Travis Pastrana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Travis Pastrana
Pastrana at Daytona International Speedway in 2023
Born	Travis Alan Pastrana (1983-10-08) October 8, 1983 (age 41) Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.
Related to	Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins (wife) Alan Pastrana (uncle)
Nitro Rallycross career
Debut season	2021
Current team	Subaru Motorsports USA
Car no.	199
Starts	5
Championships	1
Wins	2
Best finish	1st in 2021
Previous series
2012–2013 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020 2012 2011–2012 2011 2005–2010	NASCAR Nationwide Series NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Rolex Sports Car Series K&N Pro Series East K&N Pro Series West Rally America
Championship titles
2021 2017 2006–2009 2001 2000	Nitro Rallycross American Rally Association Rally America AMA Supercross 125cc AMA Motocross 125cc
NASCAR Cup Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Car no., team	No. 67 (23XI Racing)
2023 position	37th
Best finish	37th (2023)
First race	2023 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
42 races run over 2 years
2013 position	14th
Best finish	14th (2013)
First race	2012 Virginia 529 College Savings 250 (Richmond)
Last race	2013 Ford EcoBoost 300 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 4 1
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
6 races run over 5 years
Truck no., team	No. 41 (Niece Motorsports)
2020 position	51st
Best finish	51st (2020)
First race	2012 Smith's 350 (Las Vegas)
Last race	2023 NextEra Energy 250 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
Statistics current as of February 19, 2023.
Travis Pastrana Sport Sport Rally, Motocross, freeride mountain biking, BASE jumping, NASCAR, monster truck freestyle Event(s) X Games, Gravity Games, Red Bull X-Fighters, Dew Tour, Rally America Medal record Summer X Games Representing  United States Gold 1999 San Francisco Moto X Freestyle Gold 2000 San Francisco Moto X Freestyle Gold 2001 Philadelphia Moto X Freestyle Gold 2003 Los Angeles Moto X Freestyle Gold 2005 Los Angeles Moto X Freestyle Gold 2006 Los Angeles Moto X Freestyle Gold 2006 Los Angeles Moto X Best Trick Gold 2006 Los Angeles Rally Car Gold 2008 Los Angeles Rally Car Gold 2010 Los Angeles Moto X Speed & Style Gold 2010 Los Angeles Moto X Freestyle Silver 2001 Philadelphia Moto X Step Up Silver 2004 Los Angeles Moto X Freestyle Silver 2005 Los Angeles Moto X Best Trick Silver 2009 Los Angeles Rally Car Bronze 2004 Los Angeles Moto X Best Trick Bronze 2007 Los Angeles Rally Car Gravity Games Gold 1999 Providence Moto X Freestyle Gold 1999 Providence Moto X Freestyle Team Gold 2001 Providence Moto X Freestyle Gold 2002 Cleveland Moto X Freestyle Gold 2006 Perth Moto X Freestyle Silver 2003 Cleveland Moto X Freestyle

Travis Alan Pastrana (born October 8, 1983) is an amazing American athlete. He is famous for his success in many different sports. These include freestyle motocross, rally racing, NASCAR, and performing incredible stunts.

Travis became well-known in the early 2000s. He won many gold medals at the X Games. In 2006, he was the first person to land a double backflip in a competition. Before his freestyle career, Travis was also a great motorcycle racer. He won championships in 2000 and 2001.

Besides motorcycles, Travis is a four-time Rally America champion. He has also raced in Global RallyCross. Travis has even competed in NASCAR races. In 2022, he became a world champion in powerboat racing.

In 2003, Travis helped start Nitro Circus. This is an entertainment company that creates live shows, TV series, and movies. They feature extreme stunts and action sports. Travis has also done several big stunts on his own. Some of these were recreations of stunts by the famous daredevil Evel Knievel.

Career Highlights

Motorcycle Racing Success

Travis Pastrana started racing in the AMA Motocross Championship in 1999. In 2000, he won the 125cc national title. This made him the youngest person ever to win at just 16 years old. He also won the 125cc East Coast title in 2001. Travis raced in the AMA Supercross Championship until 2005. In 2023, he was honored by being added to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Team Puerto Rico Racing

Travis's father was born in Puerto Rico. This allowed Travis to race for Puerto Rico in international events. He joined Team Puerto Rico for the Motocross of Nations in 2018. His teammates were Kevin Windham and Ryan Sipes. They raced to help raise money and awareness after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017. All three riders made it to the main event.

Freestyle Motocross Tricks

Travis was already doing stunts at age 13. At 14, he won the World Freestyle Motocross Championship. This started a winning streak that lasted until 2003. After winning a gold medal at the 1999 X Games, he won gold at the first Gravity Games. Travis won five gold medals at the Gravity Games between 1999 and 2006.

X Games Achievements

• 1999 – Travis won the first-ever MotoX Freestyle event at the X Games. He scored a super high 99.00 points.
• 2000 – He won his second MotoX Freestyle gold medal. He tried his first backflip on a motorcycle but broke his foot.
• 2001 – Travis won his third MotoX Freestyle gold.
• 2003 – He won his fourth gold medal. He was the second rider to do a 360-degree spin in a competition.
• 2004 – Travis crashed trying a 50-foot 360. He got a concussion but still won a silver medal the next day.
• 2005 – He won his fifth gold medal in Freestyle. He tried a new trick, the Backflip Barspin, but his bike had issues.
• 2006 – Travis won three gold medals at one X Games. He won in MotoX Best Trick, MotoX Freestyle, and Rally Car Racing. He also did the first double backflip in a competition. This earned him a score of 98.60, the highest in Best Trick.
• 2007 – He won a bronze medal in Rally. He also raced in the first MotoX Racing event but did not win a medal.
• 2008 – Travis won gold in Rally.
• 2009 – He tried a "rodeo 720" trick but crashed. He later landed the trick and called it the "TP7".
• 2010 – Travis won Moto X Freestyle with another double backflip. He also won Moto X Speed & Style.
• 2011 – He tried the TP7 trick again but crashed and broke his foot and ankle. This injury made him miss a NASCAR race. He still competed in RallyCross with a special hand control.
• 2012 – Travis challenged world rally champion Sébastien Loeb to a RallyCross race. Travis had to stop early due to a crash.
• 2015 – Travis raced in his first Stadium Super Trucks event at X Games Austin.

Rally Racing Adventures

Pastrana's Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

In 2003, Travis started his rallying career. He began driving for the Subaru rally team in 2004. In 2006, Subaru signed him to lead their new Subaru Rally Team USA. His co-driver was Christian Edstrom.

On August 5, 2006, Travis won gold in the first rally car competition at the X Games. He beat Colin McRae by a tiny bit. Later that month, Travis and Edstrom won their first Rally America National series race. They went on to win the championship in October 2006. This made him the youngest American rally champion ever.

In 2011, Travis started racing in the Global RallyCross Championship. In 2012, he won a race in New Hampshire. In 2020, Travis started the Nitro Rallycross series. He built a test track near his home. He won two races and became the 2021 champion.

World Rally Championship Races

Pastrana driving a classic Ford Escort Mk1 at the 2008 Colin McRae Forest Stages.

In 2006, Subaru Rally Team USA announced Travis would race in some World Rally Championship events. He competed in three P-WRC events in 2007. He finished fifth in his first world rally in Mexico. This was the best finish by an American in a WRC event since 1988.

NASCAR Experience

Pastrana's No. 99 at Richmond in April 2012

Pastrana during driver intros at Road America in 2013

Pastrana's No. 60 at Road America in 2013

Travis Pastrana made his NASCAR debut in 2011. He raced in the 2011 Toyota All-Star Showdown and finished sixth. In 2012, he raced in the Nationwide Series for the first time. He finished 22nd at the Richmond 250. He also raced in the Camping World Truck Series.

In 2013, Travis raced a full season in the Nationwide Series. He finished in the top ten four times. He also won his first career pole position at Talladega Superspeedway. Travis finished 14th in points that year.

In November 2013, Travis said he would leave NASCAR. He felt he hadn't mastered pavement racing and wanted to spend more time with his family. However, he did return for a few Truck Series races later.

Pastrana at the Daytona 500

In 2023, Travis tried to qualify for the Daytona 500, a very famous NASCAR race. He drove for the 23XI Racing team. He made it into the race by being one of the fastest non-chartered teams. During the Daytona 500, he even led one lap by accident. He finished 11th, which was a great result. After the race, Travis said he had achieved his goals and would not try another NASCAR Cup Series race.

Powerboat Racing

Travis started racing offshore powerboats in 2020. He joined the Miss GEICO Racing Team. In 2022, he and Steve Curtis won the Class 1 World Championship title. In 2023, Travis decided to reduce his powerboat racing. He wanted to focus on his family and other racing.

Other Exciting Races

Pastrana at the 2014 Mount Washington Hillclimb

In 2010, Travis set a world record for climbing Mount Washington in a car. He drove his Subaru WRX STi up the mountain in 6 minutes, 20.47 seconds. In 2017, he broke his own record with a time of 5 minutes, 44.72 seconds. In 2021, he broke it again with an even faster time of 5 minutes, 28.67 seconds.

Travis also competed in the 2012 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race. In 2014, he raced in the Red Bull Straight Rhythm competition. In 2024, he joined an electric off-road racing series called Extreme E.

Nitro Circus Fun

In 2009, Travis's TV show, Nitro Circus, started on MTV. Travis is an executive producer for the show. It's like a spin-off of MTV's Jackass. The show features Travis and his friends doing dangerous and exciting stunts. Famous people like Johnny Knoxville and Bam Margera have appeared on the show.

Other Amazing Activities

Travis has also been involved in Monster Jam. In 2006, he drove a monster truck called "Pastrana 199". This truck later changed its name to "Nitro Circus". In 2009, Travis competed in the freestyle part of the Monster Jam World Finals. In 2010, another driver successfully did a backflip in the Nitro Circus monster truck.

On January 1, 2010, Travis set a new world record for a ramp-to-ramp car jump. He jumped his Subaru rally car 269 feet over water in Long Beach, California. To celebrate, he did a backflip into the harbor!

Evel Knievel Tribute Jumps

Travis has honored his hero, the legendary daredevil Evel Knievel. On July 8, 2018, in Las Vegas, Travis successfully completed three record-breaking jumps. He jumped over 52 cars, then 16 buses, and finally a fountain. The fountain jump was one that Knievel himself had failed in 1967. Travis completed these jumps with more height and landed safely. These amazing feats were shown live on TV.

Injuries and Recovery

Travis has had many injuries throughout his career. He once said, "I don't remember most of the injuries, there have been too many." As of 2019, he had broken over 90 bones and had more than 25 concussions.

When Travis was 14, he had a very serious injury during a motocross competition. He crashed badly and his spine separated from his pelvis. He was in a wheelchair for three months. Doctors said that very few people survive such an injury. Even while recovering, Travis was determined to keep jumping motorcycles.

In July 2011, he was injured at the X Games. His motorcycle didn't land correctly, and he broke his ankle. Despite this, he still competed in the Rally Cross final. In 2022, Travis was seriously hurt while BASE jumping. He broke his pelvis again. This injury stopped him from racing for the United States in the 2022 Race of Champions.

X Games Competition History

GOLD (11) SILVER (4) BRONZE (2)

YEAR	X GAMES	EVENTS	RANK	MEDAL
1999	Summer X Games V	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2000	Summer X Games VI	Moto X Step Up	8th
2000	Summer X Games VI	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2001	Summer X Games VII	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2001	Summer X Games VII	Moto X Step Up	2nd
2001	Summer X Games VII	Moto X Big Air	10th
2003	Summer X Games IX	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2004	Summer X Games X	Moto X Best Trick	3rd
2004	Summer X Games X	Supermoto	17th
2004	Summer X Games X	Moto X Freestyle	2nd
2005	Summer X Games XI	Moto X Best Trick	2nd
2005	Summer X Games XI	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2005	Summer X Games XI	Supermoto	8th
2006	Summer X Games XII	Moto X Best Trick	1st
2006	Summer X Games XII	Rally Car Racing	1st
2006	Summer X Games XII	Supermoto	10th
2006	Summer X Games XII	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2007	Summer X Games XIII	Moto X Racing
2007	Summer X Games XIII	Rally Car Racing	3rd
2008	Summer X Games XIV	Moto X Speed & Style	6th
2008	Summer X Games XIV	Rally Car Racing	1st
2009	Summer X Games XV	Moto X Best Trick	4th
2009	Summer X Games XV	Rally Car Racing	2nd
2010	Summer X Games XVI	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2010	Summer X Games XVI	Moto X Speed & Style	1st
2010	Summer X Games XVI	RallyCross
2011	Summer X Games XVII	Moto X Best Trick	7th
2011	Summer X Games XVII	RallyCross	4th
2012	Summer X Games XVIII	RallyCross	16th
2013	X Games Foz do Iguaçu 2013	RallyCross	7th
2013	X Games Los Angeles 2013	RallyCross	5th
2014	X Games Austin 2014	RallyCross	7th
2015	X Games Austin 2015	RallyCross	13th

Travis in Media

• Travis and fellow motocross racer Jeremy McGrath had a video game named after them in 2000. It was called Freestyle Motocross: McGrath vs. Pastrana.
• Travis appeared as a stunt rider in the 2001 Disney Channel movie Motocrossed.
• He is a hidden character in the 2002 video game Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer.
• Travis is a playable character and on the cover of the 2004 video game MTX Mototrax.
• He lent his voice to the 2007 game Colin McRae: DiRT and appeared as a driver in Colin McRae: DiRT 2.
• Travis co-wrote a book about his life called The Big Jump: The Tao of Travis Pastrana in 2007.
• A documentary about Travis, 199 Lives: The Travis Pastrana Story, was filmed by ESPN in 2008.
• Travis is featured in X Games: The Movie, showing his motocross and rally car work.
• He was a judge on the TV show AGT: Extreme in 2022.

Personal Life

Travis Pastrana's grandparents on his father's side are from Colombia. His uncle, Alan Pastrana, was a quarterback at the University of Maryland, where Travis also went to college.

On June 4, 2011, Travis proposed to Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins, a professional skateboarder, during a live Nitro Circus show. They got married on October 29, 2011. They have two daughters, born in September 2013 and February 2015.

Images for kids

• 

  Pastrana, Colin McRae and Ken Block at X Games XIII.

See also

In Spanish: Travis Pastrana para niños